'Star Wars' class teaches lightsaber skills to adults

Try you must, as Yoda would say. A "Star Wars" lightsaber school in the San Francisco area is offering lessons in twirls, figure eights, behind-the-backs and other tools of the lightsaber trade. While most Jedi camps and classes are aimed at young children, this one is for adults who enjoy the escapism.

“We’re kind of indulging in their childhood and that sort of fantasy of being a real Jedi,” said Alain Bloch, the camp’s instructor and a “Star Wars” fencing enthusiast.

Darth Vader makes appearances at the class, and Bloch’s ultimate goal for his Padawan pupils is for them to be able to reenact the entire five-minute, nearly 90-move battle scene between Luke Skywalker and his nemesis/father, Darth Vader, at the end of “Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.”

What do the students say to critics of their hobby?

“If you move forward and act like, ‘Hey, this is me, this is what I like,’ then nobody’s gonna question you,” noted a proud participant wielding a yellow lightsaber.